Border Crimes and Other Stories

Border Crimes is a book of twelve stories that take you back in time to West Virginia, North Carolina, New Hampshire and Rhode Island between the years of 1947 and 2003, where justice prevailed at its own pace. Best read with a sense of humor, a poker player revenges the death of a friend with a good hand; a wife frees herself from an abusive husband by visiting Florida; a woman talks to the dead in her Living room while her husband remains in the basement; the wife of a mafia boss learns that being kidnapped has its advantages; a private detective must decide what to do with a man who is indestructible; a young man's belief in Karma lands him in prison; a road trip to Canada is not what it seems; and a man learns that befriending a woman with a jealous ex-husband, can turn into a deadly game of cat and mouse. Author's Source of Inspiration.
The Hanging Bridge. 1947 West Virginia
While attending college in West Virginia, I was watching a poker game where one player was racking up all the chips. The other three players were not upset because it turned out they had invited him to play and show them what he knows about the game. Turned out he was a war vet and while in college, made his living playing the game. Someone asked how he protected himself driving from town to town where he didn't know anybody. "I survived the Salerno Beach invasion," he said, then reached behind his back and pulled out a revolver. "And I carry this." I don't know whatever happened to this scrappy guy, but he is my main character in The Hanging Bridge.
The Reporter. 1955 West Virginia
While attending college I wrote local historical pieces for the Fairmont Times which operated from 1900 to 1974 when it was taken over by a chain and renamed Times West Virginian. So, using that experience I fashioned The Reporter as a middle story between The Hanging Bridge and Restitution. I did meet a guy named Ike who owned a small coal mine, which I did get to visit.
Restitution. 1959 West Virginia
While visiting a family in one of West Virginia's small towns back in the hills, I was asked if I wanted to meet the Indian. "Sure," I said. "What's his name." Thy said: "His name is The Indian. That's what everyone calls him, and he calls himself. Been around forever and nobody knows anything about him."
The Indian came in the door and sat down. I have no idea where he was during our conversation. Maybe waiting for his cue. He sat without saying a word and appeared very old looking like what I thought an Indian should look like. For Restitution, I created a story of his village and the motivation for the main character to set things right for his brother's false conviction and time in prison.
The Last Foxhole. 1961 West Virgina
With the exception of the last four paragraphs, everything in the story is absolutely true word for word and based on a family I lived with in a rented room while in college. To this day I cannot explain how, why, or if spirits visited this home. And yes, the husband was a World War II vet and the last survivor of his company.